Effects of the Type of Sports Practice on the Executive Functions of Schoolchildren

Falonn Contreras-Osorio, Iris Paola Guzmán-Guzmán, Enrique Cerda-Vega, Luis Chirosa-Ríos, Rodrigo Ramírez-Campillo and Christian Campos-Jara
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Falonn Contreras-Osorio: Department of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, 18011 Granada, Spain
Iris Paola Guzmán-Guzmán: Faculty of Chemical-Biological Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Chilpancingo de los Bravo 39087, Mexico
Enrique Cerda-Vega: Pedagogy in Physical Education and Health Career, Department of Health Science, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago de Chile 7820436, Chile
Luis Chirosa-Ríos: Department of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, 18011 Granada, Spain
Rodrigo Ramírez-Campillo: Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences Laboratory, School of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago de Chile 7591538, Chile
Christian Campos-Jara: Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences Laboratory, School of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago de Chile 7591538, Chile

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 7, 1-17

Abstract: There is a close relationship between the development of complex motor skills and executive functions during childhood. This study aimed to analyze the differences in different dimensions of executive functions in children practicing an open-skill sport (handball) and a closed-skill sport (athletics) and controls who did not participate in sports activities after a 12-week intervention period. School-aged male and female subjects ( n = 90; mean ± standard deviation = 11.45 ± 0.68 years) participated in a non-randomized controlled study. Data analysis was performed using the STATA V.15 statistical software. The athletics intervention promoted semantic fluency ( p = 0.007), whereas handball increased inhibition ( p = 0.034). Additionally, physical activity improved in both intervention groups ( p = < 0.001), whereas sprint performance improved in the handball group following intervention ( p = 0.008), lower body muscular power improved in athletics ( p = 0.04), and evidence of improvement in upper body muscular strength was noted in handball ( p = 0.037). In turn, an increase in the Physical Activity Questionnaire for older Children score showed an association with the Standard Ten scores of executive functions. In conclusion, compared to controls, both athletics and handball induced meaningful improvements in physical activity and executive functions. However, sport-specific adaptations were noted after athletics (i.e., semantic fluency and lower body muscular power) and handball (i.e., inhibition, sprint, and upper-body muscular strength).

Keywords: sport; physical activity and sport in youth; executive functions; physical fitness; human physical conditioning; muscle strength; musculoskeletal and neural physiological phenomena; physical education and training (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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